Fortunately, the ongoing verbal sparring between the two has settled into a state of yful banter, avoiding any further esction. Overall, ine seems to have the upper hand, but Jacob can still tolerate it.
After finishing his lunch, Jacob set down his chopsticks and began packing up the lunch box without looking up, casually mentioning, “My son-inw just texted me that my daughter’s ne willnd a little earlier than expected at three o’clock, so we should head out by two.”
ine replied with a hint of annoyance, “Why are we leaving so early? My daughter ising back from overseas. She’ll have to go through customs afternding, which takes time. It would be great if she can make it out by 3:30. I think I’ll take a quick nap and we can leave at 2:30 instead.”
With that, ine turned and walked out of the restaurant, not bothering to look back. “Make sure to pack my leftovers and toss them out too,” she called over her shoulder.
Despite the manyints swirling in his mind, Jacob kept quiet, feeling somewhat dejected. He reluctantly tossed ine’s uneaten lunch into the trash can.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">
Once ine was gone, Jacob sat alone on the sofa. The effects of his hangover were fading, but his mood only grew more dismal as the alcohol wore off.
While receivingpliments at a gathering can bring temporary joy, the pain of seeing someone you care about with another can linger for a lifetime.
His thoughts drifted back to when Matilda first returned to China. During that time, ine seemed to vanish from his life. He not only greeted Matilda at the airport but also shared meals with her, attended reunions, revisited his old school, and even invited her over for dinner.
It was a time filled with passion; their chemistry in the restaurant was electric. If the kids hadn’t been around, the kitchen would have turned into a battleground of desire.
With these memories, Jacob spread his arms wide and began to p his knees with the backs of his hands. His expression twisted into one of bitterness, as if he had just bitten into a sour lemon, overwhelmed by sadness.
Finally, around half-past two, ine emerged from the elevator, dressed and refreshed after a nap. Spotting Jacob still on the sofa, she immediately asked, “Jacob, why aren’t you ready yet? Have you washed up and changed clothes? We need to pick up my daughter!”
Snapping back to reality, Jacob sighed, “Oh, why did you tidy up so well when you went to pick up our daughter? You just walked out.”
ine shot back, “What have you been doing these past couple of days? It’s like my mother has vanished. Are you up to something useless?”
Jacob retorted, “What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything useless!”
“I just don’t think you have the courage,” ine muttered under her breath.
Checking the time, she urged, “Let’s hurry, or we’ll bete to pick up my daughter!”
Jacob grabbed the car keys and followed ine out.<fnece4> Readplete version only at find{n}ovel</fnece4>
As they reached the Cullinan, ine instinctively took the passenger seat. Once Jacob settled in, he opened the navigation app and selected the fastest route to the airport.
The car smoothly exited themunity and merged onto the airport expressway. With no rush hour traffic yet, the drive was pleasant. ine, sitting in the passenger seat, was in high spirits. With ire away from home and Charlie Wadeing and going unpredictably, she often found herself without someone to chat with. Jacob’s presence hardly made a difference.
Meanwhile, Jacob was lost in thought, preupied with the impending wedding of Matilda, feeling somewhat dazed.
Suddenly, his phone rang. Connected to the car’s Bluetooth, the dashboard disyed that it was Xiao Wu from the Painting and Calligraphy Association calling.
Having had too much to drink the night before, Jacob struggled to recall the events of the previous evening. He was a bit confused when he returned home andpletely forgot about Xiao Wu bringing him HMatilda’s wedding invitation. Without giving it much thought, he pressed the answer button on the steering wheel.